Richmond has been named as the best performing borough in the capital for tracing coronavirus cases, using both the national and local services.

The evaluation was carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Chair of the Adult Social Care, Health and Housing Services Committee, Councillor Piers Allen, said over time local case tracing will help to provide insight into the specific ways transmission is happening throughout the country to help contain and prevent the spead.

By working with NHS Test and Trace, the Richmond Case Tracing Team are able to harness their local knowledge to quickly determine where people may have caught the virus to help identify possible local outbreaks.

The council has reached 680 residents who had tested positive for coronavirus since November 2020.

Since the Richmond case tracing initiative commenced, 871 cases have been referred to the local test and trace team from the NHS service.

Cases are referred if NHS Test and Trace is unable to make contact with a local resident within 24 hours.

The local case tracing team uses council-held data, text messaging, emails, phone calls, home visits and translation services where necessary to contact individuals.

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Of the cases referred to the local team, around 20 per cent require a home visit.

Local case tracers are also able to provide support to people who have tested positive and their households.

Cases in Richmond are down markedly compared to the peak of the third wave in late December and early January.

The latest data shows in the seven days to February 24, there were 57.1 cases per 100,000 people in the borough.

This compares to 661 cases per 100,000 at the peak in January